5 ms·

Have you tried covering the build plate with a glue stick? Always worked for me, at least for PLA.

jimnotgym 5y ago
I have heard of this and it is on my list of things to try. It seems counterintuitive to me that the glue wouldn't simply become a runny mess. Thank you for confirming it works. Just confirming we are talking about 'Pritt-Stick' when people say glue stick, are we?
- davrosthedalek 5y ago
  I use elmers glue sticks (the purple ones which dry clear), but Pritt should work as well. It's slightly messy, especially since the purple color comes back if you wet the surface. Then again, this helps to make sure you got all of it off. The underside of the print is slightly tacky, but nothing a wet paper towel can't fix.
- wasyl 5y ago
  Yep, that's what I've used with success as well
- dicknuckle 5y ago
  Borosilicate Glass or PEI with spring steel backing (if your bed has the magnets vs the build surface having magnet material) work great in my first hand experience, both will give a much better surface adhesion than most others. Another cheaper option is G10 or FR4. I've got copper backed FR4 on my list of things to try. Apparently it has a more even heating due to he copper against the heated bed. I've been using the glass held on with Binder clips until recently when a few binders popped off and tossed the whole lot on the floor of my garage sending shards everywhere.
  - jimnotgym 5y ago
    Excellent tips. It is the build service that is magnetic I think, but I guess you could glue something similar to the glass...
- numpad0 5y ago
  Pritt-Stick works, but I have yellow painter’s masking tape on plain sheet of aluminum. Bed’s not even particularly flat, but works for me, no mess. Couple things that comes off my head that caused my “adhesion problems” over past years were incorrect Z=0 height, uneven bed, rigidity issue on moving bed, and worn out nozzle. Worn out nozzle is easy to spot, if your extruded material curls up before dropping down, that nozzle is done. It had been more often an excessive or uneven force forcing print to depart from bed, than print simply detaching for lack of reasonable adhesion. Also, a last-resort workaround is to put the model in the air so first 5mm(1/4”) or more is just supports. Support material is more tolerant and top of it is naturally more flat and parallel. Downside is that the bottom of the print looks just bad.
- marcosdumay 5y ago
  Do have a glass cover, so you can just take it out and wash (and also have no problem with scratching). Anyway, a heated bed is much more impactful than the bed surface. Glass at 60°C alone is enough for PLA (with glue it adheres too well and stops working again), while you will need both a heated bed and surface covering for ABS. Also, any PVA based glue works. If you dissolve some white glue and spread it through the glass, it works even better than solid glue, but it's much more work.
m4rtink 5y ago
This usually has the downside that you have to clean/wash the plate after a few prints, as the glue otherwise accumulates to a height that interferes with printing.

I have heard of this and it is on my list of things to try. It seems counterintuitive to me that the glue wouldn't simply become a runny mess. Thank you for confirming it works. Just confirming we are talking about 'Pritt-Stick' when people say glue stick, are we?

davrosthedalek 5y ago
I use elmers glue sticks (the purple ones which dry clear), but Pritt should work as well. It's slightly messy, especially since the purple color comes back if you wet the surface. Then again, this helps to make sure you got all of it off. The underside of the print is slightly tacky, but nothing a wet paper towel can't fix.
wasyl 5y ago
Yep, that's what I've used with success as well
dicknuckle 5y ago
Borosilicate Glass or PEI with spring steel backing (if your bed has the magnets vs the build surface having magnet material) work great in my first hand experience, both will give a much better surface adhesion than most others. Another cheaper option is G10 or FR4. I've got copper backed FR4 on my list of things to try. Apparently it has a more even heating due to he copper against the heated bed. I've been using the glass held on with Binder clips until recently when a few binders popped off and tossed the whole lot on the floor of my garage sending shards everywhere.
- jimnotgym 5y ago
  Excellent tips. It is the build service that is magnetic I think, but I guess you could glue something similar to the glass...
numpad0 5y ago
Pritt-Stick works, but I have yellow painter’s masking tape on plain sheet of aluminum. Bed’s not even particularly flat, but works for me, no mess. Couple things that comes off my head that caused my “adhesion problems” over past years were incorrect Z=0 height, uneven bed, rigidity issue on moving bed, and worn out nozzle. Worn out nozzle is easy to spot, if your extruded material curls up before dropping down, that nozzle is done. It had been more often an excessive or uneven force forcing print to depart from bed, than print simply detaching for lack of reasonable adhesion. Also, a last-resort workaround is to put the model in the air so first 5mm(1/4”) or more is just supports. Support material is more tolerant and top of it is naturally more flat and parallel. Downside is that the bottom of the print looks just bad.
marcosdumay 5y ago
Do have a glass cover, so you can just take it out and wash (and also have no problem with scratching). Anyway, a heated bed is much more impactful than the bed surface. Glass at 60°C alone is enough for PLA (with glue it adheres too well and stops working again), while you will need both a heated bed and surface covering for ABS. Also, any PVA based glue works. If you dissolve some white glue and spread it through the glass, it works even better than solid glue, but it's much more work.

m4rtink 5y ago

This usually has the downside that you have to clean/wash the plate after a few prints, as the glue otherwise accumulates to a height that interferes with printing.